Gripping device



Sept. 22, 1936.

H. ALLEMANN GRIPPING DEVICE Filed Dec. 26, 1934 Patented Sept. 22, 1936 UNITED STATES "PATENT OFFICE Application December 26, 1934, Serial No. 759,307

In Switzerland January'6, 1934 v 10 Claims.

. This invention relatesto a gripping device for simultaneously locally holding a plurality of work pieces.

In known devices of this class several guide platesrecessed for receiving the work piece have to be secured to the table for each form of job. In working of pieces of different shapes all guide plates on .the table must be changed, which involves quite a loss of time. Furthermore, the large numberoi guide plates needed means a considerable expense, as several of. themare reguiredjfor each form of work piece. .In most instances, the guideplates are .not changed,.but a separate machine is provided for .each form.-

, The invention proposes to simplify andimprove the known devices so as to permit platelike workpieces of any form to be instantly changed by adjusting stop rings without requiring the makingof special tools iorany'form, and to make it possible to. produce .on. the device according to the invention 'any massarticles, even in small quantities, by means of multiple working machines. 3 v

Theinvention attains its. object by combining with a supporting plate for'the workpieces a plurality of. rings. adjustable about the axis of the supporting plate and provided at their edges, in equal numbers and accurately and regularly divided, with stops acting as clamping jaws in such a way that. by adjusting. the rings, the stops will be setso that simultaneously at each working place and pieces .of the same shape may be held i'n a definiteposition relative to the axis of the table. 7 7

By way of example, the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in. which Figure 1 is a section on the line A- B-C, of

Fig. 2'; Fig. 2, a plan of the device; and Fig. '3

is a plan view of a segmentof the device showing a slight modification.

Referring to the drawing, the machine frame I has on its upper end a hollow boss I for rotatably guiding the plate 2 which is supported by an annular flange i on the frame I. The'pla'te '2 has stepped reductions at its outer edge, and

the inner top offset guides a ring 3 provided with four stops 3 overlapping the plate 2 and eachhaving a rim-portion 3 On the adjacent stepped portion another ring 4' is rotatably mounted which possesses four stops' i overlapping the plate 2 and which-issupportediby the ring 3". The ring issurrounded 'by a ring 5 supported by the plate 2 and guided bythe ring Q4. The ring 5 has four arms provided with arms passing over the'surfaces "of the rings 4,

Sand the plate 2, and each arm carries a rocker or jaw 6. The rings-i, 4, and 5 are adjustable'on the plate 2 relative to their common axis. While the ring 3' is "fixed by the ring 4, the latter as well as the ring 3 are held in position by the clamping screws 1, 8 which pass through arcuate slots in the plate 2. V r I Four spring eyes 9 are attached to a rotary ring. I which surrounds the rings 3', 4, at the extreme edge step of theplate 2 and is fixed by a spring II which issecured to the-ring 5 and, by means of the nose I0 urges the ring l0 to'turn anticlockwise under the action of the four springs [2. the eyes 9 and the rockers or jaws 6 and transmit their effect to the rockers or jaws 6 which are thus, with their hooklike ends forced against thework pieces I3. In this way thework pieces which rest against the stops 3 4 and 3 are held in position.

A curved cam M is arranged on the machine frame I so't'hat the ends of thero'ckers or jaws 6 will engage theihneredge of the cam M when The springs l2 are attached to the plate'2 with the stop rings is rotated clockwise. The rockers or jaws 6 will thus be rotated anticlockwise and drawn away from the work pieces l3. Simultaneously, owing to the rotary motion of.the plate 2 and the rings 3, 4, 5 and-their stops, the released work piece slides along a crescent-shaped thin ejector l5 and out of its working position on the plate 2 towards the center thereof and drops down through the hollow boss P. The stops 3 and 4 as well as the rockers or jaws 6 are slightly spaced from the plate 2, so that the ejector secured to the stationary boss I can freely slip through between the plate Zand the stops 3 ,4 and the rockers or jaws 6 when the plate 2 is rotated.

Another adjustable ring I6, which is arranged between the rings llland 5 on the plateZ and secured against rotation by a screw l1 screwed intothe arm 5 and passing through a slot of the ring II], has four upwardly extending stops I6 which limit the clockwise rotation of the rockers or jaws 6 owing to the pull of the springs l2 so that the rockers or jaws cannot get within working range of the tools.

When the deviceiis' to be adjusted to a different form of work piece, the laminated spring H is lifted out of the nose T0 and the screws'l, 8, and H are loosened, so that all rings and the rockers 'or jaws 6 will be free. Then the ring 4 on the plate 2 is turned to the proper place and a work piece I3 rests flatly against the stop 4 and: the rim portion 3' of the ring3, as indicated in a dotted line at D in Fig. 2. The ring 3 is rotated anticlockwise until the stop 3 rests against the work piece, whereupon the rings 3 and 4 are secured by the screw 7. The ring 5' is then adjusted so that the point of the rocker or jaw 6 strikes the work piece in such a way that the latter while resting against the stop 4 will engage the rim portion 3 whereupon the ring 5 is secured by means of the screw 8. Then the ring I6 is adjusted and secured by the screw I! so that the stops 46 do not fully touch the rocker or jaw 6 at 6 when the point of the rocker or jaw contacts with the work piece. the four springs [2 are tensioned by turning the ring l0 clockwise until the spring M has engaged the nose H3 or snaps into position behind it. All four stops 3 and 4 as well as the rockers or jaws 6 will then be spaced'properly and will hold the several work pieces of the same form.

Fig. 3 illustrates a modification of the device and shows how all the stops may be adjusted'in their position relative to the ring axis to insure better adaptation to the forms of work pieces. By means of a pin ill the stops 3 are secured to the ring 3 so as to be oscillatable about the pin and, have extensions which are articulated to one another by an adjusting ring l9. Ifthe ring 19 is rotated about its axis, all four stops 3 will cooperate to move angularly and will be adjusted thereby to suit the work piece. When the stops 3 are adjusted, the adjusting ring I9 is secured and held to the ring 3 by a clamping screw 20 which passes through a slot in the ring [9.

l. The combination with a rotary disk for supporting work pieces, of a series of rings mounted concentrically on the disk to oscillate relative thereto, a series of jaws carried by each ring, the jaws on a ring being movable simultaneously upon rotation of the ring, the jaws on one of said rings being movable toward and from the jaws on a second of said rings to grip opposite sides of a series of work pieces, and pivotal connections between a third ring and its jaws whereby the jaws carried by the third ring may swing toward and from the spaces between the jaws of the first mentioned rings to grip each work piece at a third point. I

2. The combination with a rotary disk for supporting work pieces, of a -series of rings mounted concentrically on the disk tooscillate relative thereto, a series of jaws carried by each ring, the jaws on a ring being movable simultaneously upon rotation of the ring, the jaws on one of said rings being movable toward and from the jaws on a second of said rings to .grip opposite sides of a series of work pieces, pivotal connections between a third ring and its jaws whereby the jaws carried by the third ring may swing toward and from the spaces between the jaws of the first mentioned rings to grip each work piece at a third point, and means to swing the last jaws into and out of work piece gripping positions. a

3. The combination with a rotary disk for supporting work pieces, of a series of rings mounted concentrically on the disk to oscillate. relative thereto, a series of jaws carried by each ring, the jaws on a ring being movable simultaneously upon rotation of the ring, the jaws on one of said rings being movable toward and from the jaws on a second of said rings to grip opposite sides of a series of work pieces, pivotal connec- Finally,

relative thereto, a series of jaws carried by each ring, the jaws on a ring being movable simultaneously upon rotation of the ring, the jaws on one of said rings being movable toward and from the jaws on a second of said rings to grip Opposite sidesof a series of work pieces, pivotal connections between a third ring and its jaws whereby the jaws carried by the third ring may swingtoward and from the spaces between the jaws of the first mentioned rings to grip each work piece at a third point, arms on said last jaws extending outwardly of the disk, springs connecting the outer ends of said arms with the disk, and a cam member fixed in the path of the outer ends of said arms to be engaged by the arms in succession to move the last jaws away from the work pieces.

5. The combination with a rotary disk for supporting work pieces, a ring concentric of and mounted rotatably on said disk, work piece clamping jaws carried by said ring, a pair of rings concentric of and mounted oscillatably on said disk, work piece clamping jaws cooperating with the first jaws and each pivoted to both rings of said pair of rings whereby relative movement of one ring of the pair to the other will effect angular swinging of said pivoted jaws, a fourth ring concentric of and rotatably mounted on said disk and work piece clamping jaws pivotally carried by the fourth ring to swing into and out of work piece clamping position between the jaws of the first ring and the jaws of the pair of rings.

6. The combination with a rotary disk for supporting work pieces, a ring concentric of and mounted' rotatably on said disk, work piece clamping jaws carried by said ring, a pair of rings concentric of and mounted oscillatably on said disk, work piece clamping jaws cooperating with the first jaws and each pivoted to both rings of said pair of rings whereby relative movement of one ring of the pair to the other will efiect angular swinging of said pivoted jaws, a fourth ring concentric of and rotatably mounted on said disk, work piece clamping jaws pivotally carried by the fourth ring to swing into and out of work piece clamping position between the jaws of the first ring and the jaws of the pair of rings, and means to swing the last jaws into and out of work piece gripping positions.

7. The combination with a rotary disk for supporting work pieces, a ring concentric of and mounted rotatably on said disk, work piece clamping jaws carried by said ring, a pair of rings concentric of and mounted oscillatably on said disk, work piece clamping jaws cooperating with the first jaws and each pivoted to both rings of said pair of rings whereby relative movement of one ring of the pair to the other will efiect angular swinging of said pivoted jaws, a fourth ring concentric of and rotatably mounted on said disk, work piece clamping jaws pivotally carried by the fourth ring to swing into and out of work piece clamping position between the jaws of the first ring and the jaws of the pair of rings, springs urging the last jaws into work piece engaging positions, and means to move the last jaws against the action of their springs as the disk is rotated.

8. The combination with a rotary disk for supporting work pieces, a ring concentric of and mounted rotatably on said disk, work piece clamping jaws carried by said ring, a pair of rings concentric of and mounted oscillatably on said disk, work piece clamping jaws cooperating with the first jaws and each pivoted to both rings of said pair of rings whereby relative movement of one ring of the pair to the other will effect angular swingingof said pivoted jaws, a fourth ring concentric of and rotatably mounted on said disk, work piece clamping jaws pivotally carried by the fourth ring to swing into and out of work piece clamping position between the jaws of the first ring and the jaws of the pair of rings, arms on said last jaws extending outwardly of the disk, springs connecting the outer ends of said arms with the disk, and a cam member fixed in the path of the outer ends of said arms to be engaged by the arms in succession to move the last jaws away from the work pieces.

9. The combination with a rotary disk for supporting work pieces, of a series of rings mounted concentrically on the disk to oscillate relative thereto, a series of jaws carried by each ring, the jaws on a ring being movable simultaneously upon rotation of the ring, the jaws on one of said rings being movable toward and from the jaws on a second of said rings to grip opposite sides of a series of work pieces, clamping screws passing through said rotary disk and engaging said jaw provided rings to secure them in desired positions on the disk, and pivotal connections between a third ring and its jaws whereby the jaws carried by the third ring may swing toward and from the spaces between the jaws of the first mentioned rings to grip each work piece at a third point.

10. The combination with a rotary disk for supporting work pieces, of a series of rings mounted concentrically on the disk to oscillate relative thereto, a series of jaws carried by each ring, the jaws on a ring being movable simultaneously upon rotation of the ring, the jaws on one of said rings being movable toward and from the jaws on a second of said rings to grip opposite sides of a series of work pieces, clamping screws passing through said rotary disk and. engaging said jaw provided rings to secure them in desired positions on the disk, pivotal connections between a third ring and its jaws whereby the jaws carried by the third ring may swing toward and from the spaces between the jaws of the first mentioned rings to grip each work piece at a third point, and means to swing the last jaws into and out of work piece gripping positions.

HUGO ALLEMANN. 

